Action to find more female firefighters for Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service

Published:14:41Thursday 22 September 2016

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A crew of female firefighters are taking to the road this Saturday as part of a Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Positive action day to increase the recruitment of women firefighters.

The fire service is aware that there are few female firefighters in the service and wants to increase the number of both full-time and on-call women on its operational side.

Being an on-call firefighter offers women flexible employment that can be arranged around their own schedule as well as providing an exciting way to help their local community.

On Saturday the crew will be driving a fire appliance around the towns in the north of the county and spending approximately an hour in each place.

Station commander Alan Gaytor, said: “We hope that this day will give women an opportunity to find out what being a firefighter can offer”.

“At present we only have 18 female firefighters out of a total of 381 firefighters and we want to increase this number as much as possible.

“There are plenty of physically active women out there who might want a challenging job with flexible hours.

“Our on-call Firefighters only need to be available when they want to be, so it’s a great way to serve your community and work the way you want to.”

Everyone is welcome to come along and meet the crew and find out more about becoming a firefighter including men and women from ethnic minority communities.

To be a full-time firefighter you should live in Bedfordshire, or within 10 miles of its border, be fit, over 18, have four GCSEs, be able to swim and have a full driving licence (with no pending issues).

They will be at the following locations:

9.30am – Kempston, Sainsburys, Saxon Centre

11.00am – Morrisons, Shefford

12 noon – Market Square, Biggleswade

2.00pm – Market Square, Potton

3.00pm – Market Square, Sandy

4.00pm - Church Square, Allhallows, Bedford

Times are approximate, please call Marion Carlile during the day on 07814 661420 for accurate arrival times.

For further details visit www.bedsfire.com or contact station commander Alan Gaytor, alan.gaytor@bedsfire.com or call him on 07717 274302.